hi!
just this little postcard from the photon cycles lobby
thank you to all players who hold on long enough to get their healthy dose of strategy and micro mayhem
thank you to moskau, even if he left
ty to jade for open source and for pc
ty for paleontolog for update in arcade
thank you to all those cyclists who know who they are and drop by occasionally .. wish you were here
thank you to all the surviving m's murga mrouioui and so many others ..
(funny that there are so many m's no..? m's that are snakes that is ..)
come and join the fun fun fun
bring a friend (or a fiend, all up to you, bikers are not touchy/selective, we welcome everyone)
to commemorate:
survival guide :
beginner
prone to learning or rage quilting ..
aim: becoming a runner or a stalker .. understanding the game hopefully but not generally the case
fail: trying to survive instead of trying to learn by testing one s limits .. the first 50 rounds are like the first years of a kid.. it will define most players
advice: this game is not for everyone.. although only by giving it your best will you know if that is the case.. never hurt anyone to die repeatedly while learning the moves available
as long as it is done in gentlemanly fashion (as much as that is possible in playing a biker mod)
runner
enough said
aim: win
fail: total
advice: get to trying to be a stalker or a navigator
stalker
the subject has realized that it could be fun or useful or a good idea to better understand the different weapons available in pc.. to select targets (one at a time.. bm players or leaders.. or just a friend you are playing with regularly)
as stalker status is reached, the subject cuts through barrier upon barrier (0° 90° 180° every which way), but he does this in order to reach a short to mid to long secluded goal
the subject is aware of potential attacks and will probably escape most stalkers around except his own personal
all pc "players" are stalkers or were once, .. most players never get past stalker status
aim: improve
fail: not improve
advice: attack more, don't wait for lag to do the work for/against you
navigator
this is more like an extra layer to any player "type"
the subject now realizes that he is drawing a maze with his opponents (not unlike playing trackmania in setting up obstacles, only in real time)
he gradually remembers more and more of where he has been, what he has built, or all of the aforementioned
.. then he sees new elements in old layouts and identifies them mostly but not as opponents' s strategy or tactics yet.. he knows that doors need to be or "left opened" or "closed forever" and this to one s own advantage and possibly for further use in scaring, preaching or herding (a grid can see 4 and sometimes even 5 players in the same "conflicting lanes", so moving players to your advantage is a must, a positive boon)
finally, he remembers shapes drawn by all players (including his own) and positions/times his coiling accordingly to head shot block or trap his opponents
aggro
subject feels animosity and needs an honest outlet, which he finds in this game
supasayenstalker
some stalkers go up and own navigator and maybe leader status, but the satisfaction derived from acting the part (stalker) is too great to set aside.. and so they become special stalkers.. all unique but all bound and therefore a bit too transparent in their coiling
snake
some clearly stand out, they wiggle through mostly everything and are aware of all cyclists on the grid, they know all the ways to parry any attack, are never scared off by bluff attacks (in fact that excites them into making their opponents even crazier) and they really bring a whole new frightening meaning to "a stroll in the (wall) forest"
.. moreover, they aim to hurt you where it hurts (nerves, head, soul...),
.. to show you just how much you have yet to learn
(list of snake types incoming next post, when this post gets to page 2)
shark, homing missile, robot, Kr? etc etc
leaders need cool sounding names don't they?
turtle beast
runners are to be converted until they turn into these
survival guide addendum: + Show Spoiler +
snakes moves:+ Show Spoiler +
+ Show Spoiler +
disclaimer: + Show Spoiler +
moves:
bluff: boosting on your opponent or just aiming straight towards him/her (at least you know he/she cannot ignore your colliding/conflicting trajectories / free lanes)
(+ Show Spoiler +)
then fleeing like a rabbit (with attention to any other opponent) knowing full well that you were headed there in the first place
effectiveness: 30% success with beginners 0.3% with snakes
scare: you 'billy' boost really close to your opponent and / or really press him/her into boosting or turning hastily and unprepared to flee, pushing him/her to make a mistake under pressure
effectiveness: 70% success with beginners 7% with snakes
pop out: cutting through the middle of the maze to exit in front of your opponent who was happily turning around it, unaware or already in competition with another opponent, you come out (boosting usualy, very close to exiting said "central" maze or from afar (so as to magnify or mitigate ("hide") the sound effect of the boost in each case)
just popping out (without boost) may be enough .; however since often several players are already in "action", it is a case of 1/targeting one specifically and prepping to avoid the other)
effectiveness: 70% success with beginners 3% with snakes
trap: when you come right down to it, most attacks are traps (you force your opponent to go where you want .. in a wall obviously),
traps and attacks are only differentiated by the fact that traps are done without direct confrontation and attacks use the pressure and reaction time of players in close encounters with 1 2 or more opponents in the vicinity
wall in (trap): you close up a wall, which becomes a tomb for your opponent who is stuck with no exit
bait (trap): you go yourself in a corner or somewhere claustrophobicly difficult to maneuver in so that your opponent (thinking that he/she can wall you in) will get closer to you
this can lead to any attack or trap
(trap)
all in
headshot
snakes:
attack/defense ratio: adr:/ win ratio: w / fun factor: ff
gericho : swift boa
adr: / w:
ff: once a shark missile, he opted to end his reign by being turtle king and retire
murga : ecstatic burrowed mexican
adr: / w:
ff:
adonminus : uptight mongoose
adr: / w:
ff:
hakunamata : frog serious cobra
adr: / w:
ff:
aces : restrained boa
adr: / w:
ff:
dominotheory : math boa
adr: / w:
ff:
zergling : cheery python
adr: / w:
ff:
legion : calm mongoose
adr: / w:
ff:
Blondslayer : swift python
adr: / w:
ff:
Hypnotix : celt asp
adr: / w:
ff:
daniel : square asp
adr: / w:
ff:
mander : fun viper
adr: / w:
ff:
mrouioui : cheery burrowed mexican
adr: / w:
ff:
jcdenton : cheery viper
adr: / w:
ff:
nevix : swift asp
adr: / w:
ff:
cyruss : sunny asp
adr: / w:
ff:
scraft :sombre asp
adr: / w:
ff:
snakes:
asp: while very small/young/starter in something, all the rest of this snake is perfect
boa: some get too big and forget fast paced confrontations and will always end up turtling until you squeal in their coiling
viper: some are interested in outrun you to bite you while seeing your face react
cobra: there is no more devious trickster
python: short or long run, life is not a race but a dead end awaiting to happen
mongoose: fight eye to eye for hours
burrowed mexican: all of the above
........................................................................................................................................................................
+ Show Spoiler +
disclaimer: + Show Spoiler +
there are "off course" more moves (mostly more moves to come, move to be invented..) than what is depicted in this feeble attempt at helping future or seasoned players a chance for introspection and advancement), this sorrow excuse for a complete depiction of the "moves" is brought to you by blizz, jade, tl and myself
moves:
bluff: boosting on your opponent or just aiming straight towards him/her (at least you know he/she cannot ignore your colliding/conflicting trajectories / free lanes)
(+ Show Spoiler +
the front part of the cycle is the "surviving part".. if one of the players is clearly in front = he/she survives the crash unscathed, the other dies to go view the remainder of the round from the heavens lobby, until start of next round
then fleeing like a rabbit (with attention to any other opponent) knowing full well that you were headed there in the first place
effectiveness: 30% success with beginners 0.3% with snakes
scare: you 'billy' boost really close to your opponent and / or really press him/her into boosting or turning hastily and unprepared to flee, pushing him/her to make a mistake under pressure
effectiveness: 70% success with beginners 7% with snakes
pop out: cutting through the middle of the maze to exit in front of your opponent who was happily turning around it, unaware or already in competition with another opponent, you come out (boosting usualy, very close to exiting said "central" maze or from afar (so as to magnify or mitigate ("hide") the sound effect of the boost in each case)
just popping out (without boost) may be enough .; however since often several players are already in "action", it is a case of 1/targeting one specifically and prepping to avoid the other)
effectiveness: 70% success with beginners 3% with snakes
trap: when you come right down to it, most attacks are traps (you force your opponent to go where you want .. in a wall obviously),
traps and attacks are only differentiated by the fact that traps are done without direct confrontation and attacks use the pressure and reaction time of players in close encounters with 1 2 or more opponents in the vicinity
wall in (trap): you close up a wall, which becomes a tomb for your opponent who is stuck with no exit
bait (trap): you go yourself in a corner or somewhere claustrophobicly difficult to maneuver in so that your opponent (thinking that he/she can wall you in) will get closer to you
this can lead to any attack or trap
(trap)
all in
headshot
snakes:
attack/defense ratio: adr:/ win ratio: w / fun factor: ff
gericho : swift boa
adr: / w:
ff: once a shark missile, he opted to end his reign by being turtle king and retire
murga : ecstatic burrowed mexican
adr: / w:
ff:
adonminus : uptight mongoose
adr: / w:
ff:
hakunamata : frog serious cobra
adr: / w:
ff:
aces : restrained boa
adr: / w:
ff:
dominotheory : math boa
adr: / w:
ff:
zergling : cheery python
adr: / w:
ff:
legion : calm mongoose
adr: / w:
ff:
Blondslayer : swift python
adr: / w:
ff:
Hypnotix : celt asp
adr: / w:
ff:
daniel : square asp
adr: / w:
ff:
mander : fun viper
adr: / w:
ff:
mrouioui : cheery burrowed mexican
adr: / w:
ff:
jcdenton : cheery viper
adr: / w:
ff:
nevix : swift asp
adr: / w:
ff:
cyruss : sunny asp
adr: / w:
ff:
scraft :sombre asp
adr: / w:
ff:
snakes:
asp: while very small/young/starter in something, all the rest of this snake is perfect
boa: some get too big and forget fast paced confrontations and will always end up turtling until you squeal in their coiling
viper: some are interested in outrun you to bite you while seeing your face react
cobra: there is no more devious trickster
python: short or long run, life is not a race but a dead end awaiting to happen
mongoose: fight eye to eye for hours
burrowed mexican: all of the above
........................................................................................................................................................................